California Quail

California Quail male

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California Quail female

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A common bird of the chaparral and other western brushy areas, the California Quail is tolerant of people. It is common in parks and suburban areas.

Description

• Medium-sized quail.
• Forward-facing plume on top of head (topknot).
• Belly scaled with buff and black.

• Size: 24-27 cm (9-11 in)
• Wingspan: 32-37 cm (13-15 in)
• Weight: 140-230 g (4.94-8.12 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male more boldly patterned.

Sound

Call a loud "cu-Ca-cow."

Conservation Status

Not threatened or endangered in any part of its range.

Other Names

Colin de Californie (French)
Codorniz californiana (Spanish)
California Partridge, Valley Quail, Crested Quail, Topknot Quail (English)

Cool Facts

• The topknot looks like a single feather, but it is actually a cluster of six overlapping plumes.

• The California Quail digests vegetation with the help of protozoans in its intestine. Chicks acquire the protozoans by pecking at the feces of adults.

• Several California Quail broods may mix after hatching and are attended by all of the parents of those broods. Adults that engage in communal brooding live longer than adults that do not.

• Mated pairs call antiphonally: they alternate calls and fit them into a specific pattern.

• Despite living in arid environments, the California Quail needs drinking water during periods of sustained heat. During cooler weather, it can get enough moisture from eating insects and succulent vegetation.

Sources used to construct this page:

Calkins, J. D., J. C. Hagelin, and D.F. Lott. 1999. California Quail (Callipepla californica). In The Birds of North America, No. 473 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.